Tonight, the Big 12 Championships kick off in Austin, Texas. Follow along for a live recap of tonight’s events: the women’s and men’s 200 medley relays, men’s one meter diving, and the women’s and men’s 800 free relays.

It’s no surprise that the Texas teams are leading the competition going into day three of 2016 Big 12 Championships. However, the fight rages for second place in the women’s competition, where Iowa State leads the University of Kansas by a mere three points.

Texas junior and defending champion Madisyn Coxwill lead the women of the 400 IM tonight, after swimming a 4:08.08 in prelims. We can anticipate faster swim tonight, as her seed time from earlier this season was a 4:06, and her winning time last year was a 4:03.63.

Last year’s Big 12 runner-up Chelsie Miller is the second seed in her signature event. Miller, a senior, is swimming in her final Big 12 Championships. Back in 2014 as a sophomore, she grabbed Kansas’s first-ever Big 12 title in this event (4:07.97).

Texas freshman Nora McCullagh will be seeded third after a 4:13.90 performance, and she will be fighting Miller for second place. Her teammate Maggie D’Innocenzo followed her in 4:16.68.

Kansas will score some major points in this event tonight, with Libby Walker and Madison Straight in the fifth and sixth slots, all the more important because their rival Iowa State didn’t place any swimmers in the final.

The top five swimmers this morning came in under the NCAA ‘B’ cut of 4:19.39. Last year, it took a 4:12.11 to get an invite to the national meet, a standard which only Cox met this morning, but the rest of the field, Miller especially, will have a chance to make their mark on the rankings tonight.

West Virginia’s Marah Bieger will lead the ‘B’ final, after swimming 4:26.99 in prelims.

Texas claimed the top four positions this morning, and the quad will likely fight tonight for the top places on the medal stand. Sophomore Jonathan Robertsput up the fastest time this morning, a 3:46.44, followed by junior Will Liconin 3:47.67 and freshman Ryan Harty in 3:47.83. Senior John Martens rounded out the four with a prelims time of 3:48.01.

Last year, Licon was the Big 12 champion, swimming a 3:41.88. He followed up that performance by becoming Texas’s first-ever NCAA champion in the event, swimming 3:36.37 for the title.

TCU and West Virginia each placed a swimmer in the final, with TCU’s Carlos Hunnicut coming in fifth in 3:49.49 and West Virginia’s Nate Carr nabbing sixth in 3:51.51.

All of the swimmers in the ‘A’ final made the NCAA ‘B’ standard 3:54.49. Last year, it took a 3:45.34 to get invited to the NCAA Championships, a mark that some of the Texas swimmers will likely hit tonight.

TCU’s John Remetta will lead the ‘B’ final after swimming 3:57.39.

Women’s 100 Fly Prelims

Mimi Schneider, Texas: 52.54

Pia Pavlic, Kansas: 54.15

Brynne Wong, Texas: 54.18

Haley Bishop, Kansas: 54.33

Remedy Rule, Texas: 54.53

Jaimee Gillmore, West Virginia: 55.08

Kayless Kucera, Iowa State: 55.78

Hannah Angell, Kansas: 55.90

Texas sophomore Mimi Schneider outswam the field by over a second and a half this morning, clocking 52.54. She will be the top seed tonight.

A pair of Kansas swimmers took the second and fourth spots. Pia Pavlic, a junior who finished fifth in this event last year, swam the second-fastest time this morning, going 54.15. Standout freshman Haley Bishop ranks fourth with 54.33.

Defending champion Brynne Wong sits in between the pair of Jayhawks in third with 54.18. Last season, her winning time was 53.13.

Iowa State’s Kayless Kucera will be the team’s first ‘A’ finals swimmer of the night, after coming in behind Texas’s Remedy Rule (54.53) and West Virginia’s Jaimee Gillmore (55.08) for seventh in 55.78. Kansas’s Hannah Angell rounds out the field in 55.90.

The top four swimmers came in under the ‘B’ cut 54.49. Last year it took a 52.79 to get invited to NCAAs, a time which only Schneider hit this morning.

TCU senior Margaret Burkha will lead the ‘B’ final, after going 55.97 in prelims.

The men’s 100 fly will be the event to watch tonight, as just 1.2 seconds separate the swimmers of the ‘A’ final.

Texas junior Will Glassleads the field in 46.28, followed by defending NCAA Champion Joseph Schooling in 46.41. Last year, Schooling was the runner up at Big 12s in 44.81 before winning the national championship 44.51.

The top ten swimmers came in under the ‘B’ standard of 48.29. Last year, it took a 46.37 to get invited to NCAAs, a mark which we should expect multiple swimmers to crush tonight.

Women’s 200 Free Prelims

Quinn Carrozza, Texas: 1:45.23

Haley Molden, Kansas: 1:49.00

Sammie Hashbarger, Texas: 1:49.30

Silqi Lo, Iowa State: 1:49.39

Joanna Evans, Texas: 1:50.01

Mikayla Winkler, TCU: 1:50.29

Amelie Currat, WVU: 1:50.34

Catherine Maxey, TCU: 1:50.63

It’s clear that the race will be for second tonight after Texas freshman Quinn Carrozza destroyed the competition for the top slot in the women’s 200 free. She finished nearly four seconds ahead of the field in 1:45.23.

Kansas senior Haley Molden made a big jump to second seed after finishing eighth at last year’s Big 12s. Swimming the event in 1:49.00, she is the third Kansas swimmer of the morning to take the second slot in the prelims.

Texas sophomore Sammie Hashbarger came up third in 1:49.30, followed closely by Iowa State’s Silqi Lo in 1:49.39.

Carrozza was the only swimmer to hit the NCAA ‘B’ cut of 1:47.99. She also came in under the 1:45.94 that it took to get invited to NCAAs last year.

Kansas’s Breonna Barker will lead the ‘B’ final tonight after clocking 1:51.17 in prelims.

Men’s 200 Free Prelims

PJ Dunne, Texas: 1:34.55

Townley Haas, Texas: 1:35.28

Jeff Newkirk, Texas: 1:35.44

Ross Glegg, West Virginia: 1:37.82

Leonardo Sanchez, TCU: 1:38.22

Sam Lewis, Texas: 1:38.96

Tommy Thach, TCU: 1:39.05

Jack McLaughlin, TCU: 1:39.44

Texas junior PJ Dunne will be the top seed in the men’s 200 free, after swimming 1:34.55 to come in over half a second ahead of the field. Expect to see a big challenge tonight come from the pair of Texas freshmen in second and third, Townley Haas and Jeff Newkirk, who swam 1:35.28 and 1:35.44, respectively.

Haas especially will be a serious challenger. Last night, he dropped seven seconds from his prelim swim in the 500 to swim a lifetime best and win the event title.

West Virginia senior Ross Glegg, last year’s Big 12 bronze medalist in this event, is the fourth seed with 1:37.82, followed by TCU freshman Leonardo Sanchez in 1:38.22.

The top four swimmers hit the NCAA ‘B’ cut of 1:37.99. Last year, it took a 1:34.54 to get invited to NCAAs, which Dunne missed by just one one-hundredth.

Chris MacMahon of West Virginia leads the ‘B’ final with 1:39.54.

Notably, Texas junior Clark Smith, who came into the event seeded first with 1:33.36 declared a false start in the event.

Women’s 100 Breast Prelims

Olivia Anderson, Texas: 1:00.93

Jordan Surhoff, Texas: 1:01.17

Bethany Leap, Texas: 1:02.43

Kasey Roberts, Iowa State: 1:02.60

Gretchen Pocisk, Kansas: 1:03.13

Emma Harris, West Virginia: 1:03.15

Bryce Hinde, Kansas: 1:03.33

Danica Delaquis, Iowa State: 1:03.45

Texas freshman Olivia Anderson clocked the fastest time this morning in the an event which was dominated by seniors at this meet last year, swimming 1:00.93. Her junior teammate Jordan Surhoff, last year’s 4th-place finisher,followed close behind in 1:01.17, and their sophomore teammate Bethany Leap hit third in 1:02.43.

Iowa State’s team headliner Kasey Roberts landed the fourth slot in 1:02.60, followed by Kansas’s Gretchen Pocisk in 1:03.13.

The top three swimmers hit the NCAA ‘B’ standard 1:02.49, although no one quite made it to the 1:00.68 that it took to get invited last year.

Men’s 100 Breast Prelims

John Story, TCU: 53.80

Austin Temple, Texas: 54.23

Liam Lockwood, Texas: 54.28

Casey Meltzer, Texas: 54.43

Max Spencer, West Virginia: 54.69

Jake Armstrong, West Virginia: 55.09

Aidan Fumagalli, West Virginia: 55.73

Jake Iotte, West Virginia: 56.04

TCU’s John “Ford” Story represents TCU’s best hope for an individual gold medal tonight after going 53.80 to secure a first seed in finals, but he’ll have to outswim second seed Texas sophomore Austin Temple, the defending champion, who swam 54.23 this morning. Last year, Temple won the race in 52.71. Texas senior-freshman duo Liam Lockwood and Casey Melzer are close behind in 54.28 and 54.43.

Last year’s silver medalist Max Spencer leads a squad of four West Virginia swimmers who secured the final slots in the A final, swimming 54.69 for the fifth spot. With this many swimmers in finals, this event should make a huge impact on West Virginia’s quest for a team second.

The top six swimmers hit the NCAA ‘B’ mark of 55.39, but last year it took a 52.08 to get invited to the championship meet, which is still nearly two seconds under Story’s swim.

West Virginia’s Drew Riebel will lead the ‘B’ final tonight, after swimming 56.48 in prelims.

Women’s 100 Back Prelims

Tasija Karosas, Texas: 52.30

Yulduz, Kuchkarova, Kansas: 54.21

Kaylee Kucera, Iowa State: 54.62

Courtney Miller, West Virginia: 54.89

Rebecca Baxley, Texas: 55.00

Amelie Currat, West Virginia: 55.01

Madison Ibrahim, TCU: 55.15

Maggie Miller, West Virginia: 55.26

Texas relay mainstay and Big 12 defending champion in this event Tasija Karosas leads the field by nearly two seconds after this morning’s swim, a 52.30. Her swim this morning was even faster than her winning Big 12 swim last year, a 52.49, and it is within a second of the time she clocked for 10th at NCAAs, a 51.76.

Kansas’s Uzbekistan national Yulduz Kuchkarova will be the second seed, after swimming 54.21. She should go faster tonight; earlier this season, she clocked a personal best meet record 53.09 at the Big Challenge.

Iowa State’s Kaylee Kucera has made a big move up after finishing seventh in this event last year, swimming 54.62 for the third slot tonight. West Virginia’s Rebecca Baxley follows her in 55.00, with French national West Virginia swimmer Amelie Currat coming in sixth close behind in 55.01.

The top six swimmers came in under the NCAA ‘B’ standard of 55.09, and Karosas came in well beneath the time it took to get invited to the NCAA championship meet last season, a 52.97.

Kind of slow for Schooling/Conger? What should we expect from them tonight?

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3 years ago

bobo gigi

I expect a time in 1.32 by Townley Haas in the 200 free final. He swam a great PB in the 500 free.

And Clark Smith? Is it serious?
Someone can tell me why he swam only the first part of his 500 free at full speed?
And today a false start in the 200 free?
Is it a joke?

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3 years ago

Bryan

He was almost certainly acting as a rabbit for Haas to chase last night. And the 200 free was a declared false start, meaning it was planned before hand.

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3 years ago

John Plinth

The problem with the scenario of Smith being a rabbit for Haas in the 500 is that Haas was ahead of Smith after about 200 yards. Also, Haas does not really need help pacing anyway, He can hold/hit splits like a stopwatch within +/- 0.2 per 50 yards. He’s got an amazing calibration on his internal clock. More likely that he was pacing Newkirk and Roberts right up to the 450 point based on very similar splits. That is really an incredibly unselfish thing for him to do. As for the 200, he was a no-show. The lane was empty. Probably took a pass since he already has that cut in the bag, Texas doesn’t need any extra points, and… Read more »

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3 years ago

About Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht grew up in Kansas and spent most of her childhood trying to convince coaches to let her swim backstroke in freestyle sets. She took her passion to Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and swam at NAIA Nationals all four years. After graduating in 2015, she moved to …